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Instead, they later learn they have not applied on an official government website, but instead through another commercial site that makes money from people who think they have clicked on an official site.

These so-called 'copycat sites' will claim that they offer a service over and above that offered by the government channels: they will print out the application form for you or check your details.

But when users learn they have paid tens or even hundreds of pounds for a print out and an envelope they don’t feel they’ve got good value: they would much rather have done without the extra ‘service’ and saved themselves the money.

I’m sorry to hear you and your daughter fell prey to one of these sites: drivinglicence.uk.com.

You tell me your daughter did not realise when she inputted her details on the site that she was not applying through the government site.

Drivinglicence.uk.com set it's fee at the same level the DVLA charges to process provisional licences. It was a shock for both of you when you received another bill for £50 - this time from the official channels - and printed forms instead of the licence you were expecting.

Correct fees: The official government website charges £50 to apply for a provisional driving licence

Unfortunately since these sites are not technically illegal you have little recourse.

The site does also state it is not the official government site, so it is unclear whether it could be accused of false advertising.

To add insult to injury, the company's registered name is 'Caveat Viator Limited' - 'traveller beware' in Latin. It seems prudent to take heed of its advice - and avoid it altogether next time.

Some customers have complained forcefully enough that they receive some kind of refund from this type of site, but most have no such luck.

Fortunately a government announcement today suggests there may be some light at the end of the tunnel – if not for you then for people in future.

The official site: This is what the official government website looks like for applying for a provisional driving licence

The minister committed the funds to the National Trading Standards Board so it is better equipped to identify, investigate and take action against any misleading websites.

Jenny Willott said: 'Misleading websites which dupe people into believing they are using the official government channel need to be stopped in their tracks.

'The unfortunate reality is that a minority are exploiting those who are perhaps less web-savvy and we need to clamp down on them. These rogues that con people out of their hard earned cash need to know that the full glare of Trading Standards is now on them.’

It remains to be seen how far this £120,000 will go. In the meantime, we will continue to draw attention to these sites so that others are not duped in future.

Disclaimer: The website drivinglicence.uk.com does explain it is not affiliated with the DVLA or any official body - the question is whether potential customers are likely to notice

A spokesperson for drivinglicence.uk.com said: 'It’s unfortunate that you think our website was in any way misleading, but we have undertaken more than sufficient steps to ensure that no confusion could arise given the references we use. Those references clearly state that we are a private company not associated with DVLA, the UK Government or any official body. To further minimise the prospects of confusion, we also provide links that will take you to the DVLA website.

'Our website also includes a detailed, easy-to-follow table that illustrates the difference between the added value ‘checking’ services we offer against that of DVLA. That table again evidences that there is a fee payable for utilising our service. It also shows that in circumstances where you do not wish to use the website, you can simply submit the documents to DVLA, which is a free, but less comprehensive, service.

'It is also made clear that our online service acts as an agent processing the application and provides a complete checking service – and that this service will fill out the form on your behalf and send it to you. But we also stipulate that you will need to submit this form to the DVLA, along with any fee that may be payable to them.'